Two Activists Face Charges for Selling Drugs to Save Lives

Who Are They?

Two people, Jeremy Kalicum (28) and Eris Nyx (33), who started a group to help drug users, have been charged with selling cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Their group is called the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF). The police in Vancouver said they were officially charged on May 31st, even though they were arrested back in October. Their court date is set for July 2nd.

What Did They Do?

In 2022, DULF got a lot of attention when they said they would sell pure cocaine, meth, and heroin to help stop overdose deaths. They called it a “compassion club.” Nyx explained, “If we label drugs so people know exactly what they’re taking, they won’t overdose. No one takes more than they want to.”

Their Big Plan

The group asked the Canadian government for special permission to sell these drugs legally. They wanted to buy high-quality drugs and sell them safely. But the government said no, especially because they admitted they would have to buy the drugs from the dark web.

Fighting Back

Even though the government said no, Nyx and Kalicum didn’t stop. They kept selling pure drugs at cost in their store in Vancouver. But then, the police raided their store and arrested them in October.

A Legal Battle

In March, they fought back legally. They said the government’s decision not to allow their plan puts drug users in more danger from toxic drugs and violates their rights. They argued that their model had reduced non-fatal overdoses by 49%, and serious overdoses needing naloxone dropped by 63%.

Their lawyers said, “We are surprised the charges came before the court decided if the government was wrong. If the charges continue, we will argue that stopping a program that saves lives is against the law.”

The Bigger Picture

This fight is happening because British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, is dealing with a huge drug problem. Almost 14,000 people have died from bad, unregulated drugs. Last year was the worst, with over 2,500 suspected overdoses, mostly from fentanyl.

British Columbia even started a new project last year, allowing people to have small amounts of illegal drugs without getting in trouble. This was not to legalize drugs but to try and handle the crisis better.

Political Drama

Politicians have different views on this. Some, like Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, have called parts of Vancouver “hell on earth.” Due to public pressure, British Columbia has had to step back from some of their new drug policies.

Final Thoughts

Nyx and Kalicum’s fight is about more than just selling drugs. It’s about trying to save lives in a crisis. They believe their method works, and they are ready to keep fighting in court to prove it.